Posts tagged ‘Chuck Dixon’

No Man’s Land moves towards its conclusion with Detective 738 (Nov. 99), in a story by Chuck Dixon, with art by Mat Broome and Sean Parsons. It’s the conclusion of a two-part story. Are you surprised it’s a concluding half? By now, you should be used to it.

Bane penetrates into the heart of the city – the hall of records. He sets off a (very) low-grade nuke, which destroys the building and renders the land it is on impossible to build on.

Two-Face also finds himself in trouble, with the Penguin’s men leading an assault against him. Batman and Robin watch both situations unfold. Robin wonders why Batman does not act to stop Bane. Batman is more interested in who might be giving Bane the orders to destroy the Hall of Records. They leave Bane to his bomb, and save Two-Face.

They do rescue the hooded man, revealed to be Simpson Flanders, who has certainly seen better days.

Mr. Scratch’s plans come to an abrupt halt, when the Joker single-handedly wipes out his men. He has no interest in any newbies claiming Gotham.

Nightwing and Robin discover Wayne Manor gone, plowed into the cave. The Return of Bruce Wayne storyline, much more recently, would amend this, that only one wing of the manor was destroyed at this point. But that clearly goes against what is shown here, so I view that as being the result of Superboy punching a wall.

Fight or Flight continues in Detective 728 (Jan. 99), part of the Road to No Man’s Land running through the Bat-books. Dixon, Rosado and Buscema are the creative team.

Mr. Scratch, more prominently featured in the other books, wants No Man’s Land passed so his gang can take over Gotham. He sends in a number of destructive felons to wreak havoc in the city, which Robin and Nightwing try to stop.

Gordon has an interview in another city, and feels that is went pretty well. But when he heads back, having left his glasses, he overhears what contempt he is held in. A soul crushing scene.

Nightwing and Robin fare better against the various villains, but there is little to be celebrated, as the government sets the deadline to shut off Gotham from the rest of the country.

Detective 727 (Dec. 98) is the beginning of the three-part Fight or Flight storyline, one of the threads of Road to No Man’s Land, which runs through the Bat-books. Each book took a different facet of the story to focus on, and Detective Comics sees Nightwing and Robin do their best to protect the city, while Bruce is in Washington, D.C., trying to fend off No Man’s Land. Chuck Dixon is joined by William Rosado and Stan Buscema for this, the final storyline of his long run on the book.

The Firefly is the main villain in the issue. This seems odd, considering that he was just captured last issue, but reference is made to him escaping 12 hours earlier.

Nightwing and Robin find it hard to take down a villain who cares nothing about being set on fire during their fights.

This storyline also deals with Jim Gordon and Sarah Essen. With the government discussing sealing off Gotham and letting it die, the Gordons decide to move on, and find employment in a more stable city.

Firefly gets set on fire twice in this issue, but isn’t down for the count until being hit by a cement truck. Bullock and Montoya are the police given some play in this issue, but only minor roles.

Detective 1,000,000 (Nov. 98) is part of the DC One Million crossover series, which sees heroes from the 853rd century trade places with theirpresent day counterparts, but the evil sentient sun mess with the plans, releasing the Hourman virus. Nightwing tries to explain it to Robin, who followed that as well as you did. Chuck Dixon scripts, with Greg Land on pencils and Drew Geraci on inks.

That’s Batman One Million (as it’s easiest to call him), in the Batcave to the consternation of Alfred. He modifies the Bat-computer with his future tech, in order to see if there is a way to deprogram the nanite-based Hourman virus.

The virus drives people into paranoid mania, and Firefly takes advantage of this to lead people into burning their own homes.

The future Batman confesses to Alfred that even with his modifications, no computer with the present technology will be able to “cure” the Hourman virus.

He proves more successful at taking down Firefly, and his suit’s ability to fly makes it even easier.

In the end, he realizes that in order to defeat the future super computer sentient sun Solaris, they will have to create it in the present.

Chuck Dixon is joined by Brian Stelfreeze on the Joker story in Detective 726 (Oct. 98), an Aftershock story, although only barely.

A young girl has been kidnapped by a recent release from Arkham Asylum. It’s the anniversary of Jason Todd’s death, and Batman correctly suspects the Joker to be the mastermind, and goes to Arkham Asylum to confront him.

Each two page spread has a full page picture on one side, showing Batman in action. Only towards the end of the book is it clear where he is going, and that this takes place between two visits to the Joker. The opposite page shows Batman questioning the Joker in his cell.

The design gives the story its only real touches of Aftershock, as we see the ruined city.

The Joker finally reveals the location of the girl, but it’s in the back of a trunk in a car on a sinking ferry, and there is little chance the girl will still be alive.

Except that the Joker ensured she would be, with a respirator. Batman is puzzled, and the Joker explains that, Batman being who he is, he likely always proceeds with the idea that the victim is dead. Now he will have hope – which the Joker will have more fun crushing.

Chuck Dixon, William Rosado and Tom Palmer are the team on Detective 725 (Sept. 98). It’s an Aftershock story, dealing primarily with the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson.

Batman and Nightwing patrol what might once have been the streets of Gotham. His new Batmobile sprays a smelly dye on rioters, marking them for the police. Dick talks about the good old days, though Bruce doubts that it could ever have been called good.

Dick also discusses his plans to become a police officer in Bludhaven, doing openly what he has been doing in secret for so long.

Bruce commends Dick, on how Robin and Nightwing are simply extensions of who Dick Grayson is, while Batman has always been an identity for Bruce Wayne to hide in.